Romaine Hearts with Caesar Salad Dressing

Source: The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual by Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo.

adapted by http://theresalwaysthyme.blogspot.com/

3 hearts of romaine (pull away the floppiest, greenest outer leaves)

1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus additional cheese for serving (I used grated Parmegiano-Reggiano)

1/2 cup Hellmann's mayonnaise

1/4 cup water (more or less depending on how thick you want the dressing!)

1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove

2 anchovy fillets (I used anchovy paste)

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon Tabasco

8 turns freshly ground white pepper

fine sea salt, if needed

freshly ground black pepper

croutons (optional)

Trim the root ends from the romaine, separate the leaves, and wash and dry them. Put the lettuce in the fridge to chill while you prepare the dressing. (I cut the romaine in small pieces!)

Combine 1/4 cup of the Pecorino with the remaining ingredients (except the black pepper) in a blender and puree until the dressing is smooth. (If you don't have a blender, mince the garlic and anchovy, and whisk them together with the rest of the dressing ingredients.) Taste and add salt if necessary; the cheese, the Worcestershire, and the anchovies are all salty, so you probably won't need any additional salt. Loosen the dressing with water as needed starting with the prescribed 1/4 cup.

Toss the chilled lettuce with the dressing in a large bowl. Transfer to serving plates or a serving platter and finish with a generous sprinkling of the remaining grated cheese and a few turns of black pepper. And croutons if you are using them!